The Health and Wellbeing Committee met to discuss a range of issues, including mental health services, Healthwatch Staffordshire, and feedback from the Staffordshire County Council (SCC) Health & Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee. The committee approved the work programme for 2025-2026.

Mental Health Services and Autism

The committee received an overview of mental health services available locally, with a focus on autism, from the North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS Trust. Ben Richards, Chief Operating Officer at North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS Trust and SRO for Mental Health, Learning Disability and Autism for the ICS, and Karen Webb, Joint Funding Lead at Staffordshire County Council and the ICB and Deputy SRO for Learning Disability and Autism for the ICS, presented the update.

The presentation covered various aspects of mental health services, including:

• Accessing Services: Details on adult inpatient and community services, services for older people with mental health needs, learning disability support, substance misuse services, and child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS).
• Preventative to Acute Support: An overview of the range of support available, from preventative measures to acute care.
• Looking Ahead: Future plans for prevention, access, and growth in mental health services.

Specific questions raised by the committee and addressed in the presentation included:

• Joining up child and adult mental health services: The presentation detailed the monthly multi-agency transition panel that takes place, which includes practitioners from CAMHS and Adult Mental Health Services (AMHS), primary care representatives, local authority transition team leads, and others. The panel aims to discuss young people approaching 17½ years old who may require transition to a Community MH Team or have ongoing mental health needs after discharge from CAMHS.
• Specific services for autism in adults: The presentation outlined signposting and connections for individuals with learning disabilities and autism, including various groups and networks.
• Signposting for adults with autism and carers: The presentation detailed various signposting and connection initiatives for individuals with learning disabilities and autism.

Data on waiting times for autism assessments and ADHD assessments for both adults and children in North Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent was provided. The data indicated that waiting times were longer than desired, and that there was no additional funding available for investment in this area in 2024.

Healthwatch Staffordshire

The committee received an overview from Healthwatch Staffordshire¹.

Staffordshire County Council Health & Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee

Councillor John Jones, Chair, provided feedback from the SCC Health & Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

The committee had previously received the minutes from the previous meeting of the SCC Health & Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on 3 March 2025.

The key discussion points from the 30 June 2025 meeting included:

• Intrapartum services: A consultation was commenced on 12 May 2025 regarding the temporary closure of the Free-Standing Midwifery-led birthing (FMBU) service at County Hospital, Stafford, and Samuel Johnson Community Hospital, Lichfield.
• 2025/26 System Operational Plan: The committee received a presentation on the plan, which included a break-even plan after receiving £95 million of deficit support funding. To deliver break-even, all organisations in the system were required to make combined efficiencies of £306 million.
• Memorandum of Understanding (MoU): The committee endorsed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to progress to Full Council in July 2025 regarding substantial variation or development of health services.

Vaping Overview

The committee received a presentation on vaping from officers from the Public Health team at SCC. The presentation covered the context of tobacco and vapes, policy updates, e-cigarette use in young people, and service offers.

Some members expressed concerns about the harm vaping could have on young people's lungs, noting that the longer-term effects of vaping were not yet known.

The committee was advised that stop smoking services were available across the county free of charge, and that workshops were delivered to young people primarily in schools.

Health Inequalities Funding (Damp & Mould)

The Head of Environmental Health provided an update on legislation related to the assessment of residential dwellings, an overview of assessments carried out at properties, types of support available to residents, and the number of service requests.

The Health and Inequalities Funding had enabled the council to supply residents with equipment and products to assist with damp and mould in their properties.

Councillor Gary Bentley declared an interest as a landlord of a property, for this item.